Jean-Christophe Mandard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023

The finest Touraine’s rival Sancerre but at $10 to $15 less a bottle

Touraine‘s wine reputation is primarily based on vineyards around the communes of Oisly and Thesée on the north bank of the Cher where soils are light and sandy and you are likely to find vines nestled alongside  commercial plantings of asparagus and strawberries. On the south bank vineyards are planted on a plateau of  clay, limestone and silex. It is from here that one can find some of the better and longer-lived wines, such as

those of Jean-Christophe Mandard. Ex technical director for The Ricard Wine Group out of Paris, Jean-Christophe inherited his father‘s estate in 1993 and moved his family to the sleepy hamlet of Mareuil-sur-Cher. The fourth generation of his family to work the Domaine‘s 17 hectares of vineyard located on a plateau above the village.

Touraine Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Jean-Christophe Mandard is an expressive and delicious wine with characteristic zippy green fruit flavours, floral notes, orange and touches of tropical fruit on the finish. The wine has a depth and roundness which is quite fantastic and a lovely texture on the finish which is attributed to the Domaine’s older vines. Excellent wine.